In the Demographic Transition Model, during Stage 2 birth rates remain high while death rates decline. Which statement best describes birth rates in this stage?

In the Demographic Transition Model, during Stage 2 birth rates remain high while death rates decline. Which statement best describes birth rates in this stage?

• A. Birth rates remain high while death rates decline
• B. Birth rates fall immediately
• C. Birth rates rise dramatically
• D. Birth rates match death rates

Answer: (A)

Stage 2 in the Demographic Transition Model features falling death rates due to improvements in health, sanitation, and nutrition, while birth rates stay high because cultural norms and reliance on large families persist and contraception is not yet widespread. This creates rapid population growth, since births remain elevated even as more people survive. The statement that birth rates remain high while death rates decline best describes this stage because it reflects the lag between improvements in mortality and the ongoing high fertility. As societies continue to develop, birth rates eventually begin to fall and may align with lower death rates in later stages.

Stage 2 in the Demographic Transition Model features falling death rates due to improvements in health, sanitation, and nutrition, while birth rates stay high because cultural norms and reliance on large families persist and contraception is not yet widespread. This creates rapid population growth, since births remain elevated even as more people survive. The statement that birth rates remain high while death rates decline best describes this stage because it reflects the lag between improvements in mortality and the ongoing high fertility. As societies continue to develop, birth rates eventually begin to fall and may align with lower death rates in later stages.